Ay! Ai!

 But the Israelites were unfaithful in regard to the devoted things; Achan son of Karmi, the son of Zimri, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took some of them. So the Lord’s anger burned against Israel.

Now Joshua sent men from Jericho to Ai, which is near Beth Aven to the east of Bethel, and told them, “Go up and spy out the region.” So the men went up and spied out Ai.

When they returned to Joshua, they said, “Not all the army will have to go up against Ai. Send two or three thousand men to take it and do not weary the whole army, for only a few people live there.” So about three thousand went up; but they were routed by the men of Ai, who killed about thirty-six of them. They chased the Israelites from the city gate as far as the stone quarries and struck them down on the slopes. At this the hearts of the people melted in fear and became like water.

 Then Joshua tore his clothes and fell facedown to the ground before the ark of the Lord, remaining there till evening. The elders of Israel did the same, and sprinkled dust on their heads. And Joshua said, “Alas, Sovereign Lord, why did you ever bring this people across the Jordan to deliver us into the hands of the Amorites to destroy us? If only we had been content to stay on the other side of the Jordan! Pardon your servant, Lord. What can I say, now that Israel has been routed by its enemies? The Canaanites and the other people of the country will hear about this and they will surround us and wipe out our name from the earth. What then will you do for your own great name?”

 The Lord said to Joshua, “Stand up! What are you doing down on your face?  Israel has sinned; they have violated my covenant, which I commanded them to keep. They have taken some of the devoted things; they have stolen, they have lied, they have put them with their own possessions. (Joshua 7:1-11)

 

Joshua fell back on routine and military training. He sent spies to check out Ai. This time, the spies came back with a glowing report. The Israelites could take the town with one hand tied behind their backs. Easy peasy. God hadn’t told them to go up against Ai, so Joshua seems to have decided to trust to common sense and human evaluations. They attacked with a small portion of the army, and got trounced and Joshua, true to my nature, lamented and foresaw a dismal future.

“What’s your problem?” was God’s answer. He went on to explain to Joshua that Israel had sinned. When we looked at the issue of circumcising “all of Israel,” I noted that part may be represented as the whole. They didn’t circumcise women, and it’s at least possible that some of the men may have been circumcised according to the Law while in the wilderness, but not all. They circumcised those necessary to complete the “all.” In this account, what was done by one man and condoned by his immediate family, was attributed to “Israel.”

I don’t know how you feel about this, but I’m a daughter of my culture and a hypocrite – and I expect most people are. It’s wrong to punish a whole group of people for what one did. I didn’t own slaves or wage war against Native Americans. How dare anyone suggest that I am like the people who did? On the other hand, if one person or even 10% of the people of another political philosophy do something, I attribute that act to all members of the political philosophy. I know it's not fully accurate or fair, but it’s convenient and I suspect that others are just as guilty as I am about it.           

But God uses it to point toward a principle by which we benefit. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (Romans 5:19)